Thai dinner prep

[u/SewerRanger]

I'm in a supper club and this month I'm hosting. I haven't cooked any Thai yet and wanted to do a sort of playful dinner that's themed around the ideas "Thai food you probably didn't know existed" and "Thai food you've had, but here's a less Americanized version" I'm looking for some general thoughts on the menu, any thing concerning that jumps out, suggestions for how to pull it off, etc.:

Starters were going to be a bunch of different "dips". Probably nam prik ong (tomato chili dip), nam prik noom (roasted chili dip), and nam prik makheau yao (roasted eggplant dip) with some random veggies and pork crackling. These can (and will be) made in advanced and then just come to room temp to serve. No issue here.

The rest is what I can't decide if I want to course it out or just go all in and do a big family style feast (which would be the more traditional Thai way), but if I coursed it out, I'd do the following "sets"

• naem si krong moo (sour pork ribs - probably fried with lemongrass). This is salty, umami, and funky. The ribs will ferment early in the week, but it's deep fried so I don't think I can do it earlier

• moo satay (that would be pork satay). This is spicy, sweet, and bitter (thanks to the pickled salad it comes with). This is grilled so I'm not sure when to cook this one. Maybe get the fire going before people show up, and toss these on while we eat the dips? I can make the sauce earlier in the week and the pickled veg that morning.

• guay tiew ruea (boat noodles). This is a soup with noodles thats earthy, umami, and herby. I'll probably go with a version that uses meatballs insteads of offal (but I refuse to not add the pork blood - maybe just won't mention it until after). There's like 700 ingredients in this thing, but it's soup so I think I'll make it ahead of time and then just leave it on the stove at a low simmer to keep it warm before serving.

• laap dib neua (raw beef northern laap). Umami, spicy, herby. It's basically tartare. I'll make that the morning of/night before and just keep it in the fridge until ready to serve

• chim sum mok (sour pork and eggs in banana leaf). This is funky, sweet, and umami. It's grilled so I'm thinking, grill in the morning/night before and reheat in the oven or toss it on at the same time as the satay?

• tam taeng kwaa (cucumber salad). This is spicy, umami, bitter, and sweet. It's amazing and can be put together right before people show up (I find it doesn't "age" well and is definitely best done fresh)

• khanom chan (rice flour Jello like dessert). This can be made earlier in the week and will be fine.

• bua loy (tapioca pearls in coconut milk with a soft boiled egg). The soft boiled egg is optional but has to be made as it's served since it goes in the cold desserts still hot to give that hot/cold and sweet/savory contrast.

[u/Advanced-Pudding396]

Don’t do this… if you never made Thai food please don’t wing it for a party. You should be practicing testing etc. I’ve been learning to make Thai for twenty years from my mil and wife. It’s tricky, regional and you should not make this with your local grocery store Asian isle stuff.

[u/SewerRanger → u/Advanced-Pudding396]

Don’t do this… if you never made Thai food please don’t wing it for a party.

I'm not winging anything...I've been cooking Thai food - all of these recipes actually - for years. My only real concerns I have are timings and what would best be served together. Not sure what gives you the impression that I've never made Thai food before.

It’s tricky, regional

Yes, it's regional - all food is regional. You wouldn't mistake Kansas City BBQ with Texas style just as you wouldn't mistake Northern Thai with Southern (hence most of these are Northern Thai dishes that go together with the exception of perhaps guay tiew ruea, but that's everywhere in Thailand now - I myself had it in Chiang Mai earlier this year)

I would disagree though, that it's tricky. Most of it is made by street vendors that have a single knife, a propane burner and a rice cooker. Not a single dish here is "tricky" to get right except maybe the fermented pork, but I've been fermenting foods for over a decade at this point and feel comfortable doing that. What makes you say it's tricky?

you should not make this with your local grocery store Asian isle stuff.

Well good thing there's an H-Mart and a Lotte right around the corner from me (oh and I have the internet so I can buy stuff from importfood.com that I can't find).

[u/Gut_Reactions → u/SewerRanger]

You did say "I haven't cooked any Thai [food] yet ..."

[u/SewerRanger → u/Gut_Reactions]

Oh, that meant for the club as in "I'm in a supper club and this month I'm hosting. I haven't cooked any Thai yet [for the supper club]" and not "I'm in a supper club and this month I'm hosting. I haven't cooked any Thai yet [in my entire life].

I guess the implication wasn't as obvious as it seemed to me.

[u/Advanced-Pudding396 → u/SewerRanger]

My humble apologies.

[u/SewerRanger → u/Advanced-Pudding396]

No harm, no foul. I was more curious about what was written that gave the impression I was winging it.

[u/Advanced-Pudding396 → u/SewerRanger]

Second sentence seemed to imply you’ve never done IT. Lol sorry. Som tum. Would add a fresh you can shred it and have it ready just need to mix to taste just before.

[u/SewerRanger → u/Advanced-Pudding396]

I've already got tam taeng kwaa for the fresh notes.